Burly Colin Doyle has plans to muscle in on Blues' goalkeeping battle next season.

Burly Colin Doyle has plans to muscle in on Blues' goalkeeping battle next season.

The 6ft 6in teenager earned good reviews after being plunged in at the deep end for Nottingham Forest against Spurs in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Although the Irish under-21 international spilled a straightforward Jermain Defoe free-kick to gift Spurs their goal, he then made a string of excellent saves as Forest recovered to equalise and force a fifth-round replay.

Doyle, who is on loan to Forest and replaced the suspended Paul Gerrard at White Hart Lane, said: "It was a fantastic experience for me.

"I've been on loan to Chester City and played one game, in the LDV Trophy against Roch-dale, but this was something completely different.

"On the whole, I felt I did okay. I came for crosses and made a few decent saves but the goal was a bad mistake.

"I'd lined the wall up, I saw the ball come over the wall and although it was moving all over the place I took my eye off it and let it go through my hands. It was a lack of concentration on my part.

"Afterwards Gary Megson said I didn't crumble but showed great character to recover from making such an error in front of 36,000.

"That mistake apart, the game's given me a massive confidence boost and it has made me all the more determined to improve."

Doyle, 19, was set for a career in Gaelic football with Cork before a Villa scout spotted him playing for fun with his local soccer team.

Trials at Villa and Leicester City came to nothing but Blues snapped him up and, with Ian Bennett set to leave this summer, Doyle spies an opening.

"After the loan, I want to come back to Birmingham and see what happens," said Doyle, who made way for Gerrard last night in Forest's 2-0 win over Preston in the Championship.

"The club has three class keepers in Maik Taylor, Nico Vaesen and 'Benno', and my aim is to try and compete with them and eventually challenge for a first team place.

"If Benno does leave then that could help me. And if I had to go out on loan again, then I would because I need to get more games.

"Coming to Forest and playing in the FA Cup has helped push me on a bit."